Home - Shaleen Vira, M.D.

leading Surgeon at the Largest Health System in Arizona

Banner Health

Shaleen Vira, M.D. is a Harvard and Cleveland Clinic trained board certified spine surgeon with dual training and appointments in both orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery. His vast expertise enables him to treat any spinal condition with the latest techniques. He particularly acclaimed for his work in complex reconstructive surgery, minimally invasive techniques, spine tumors, fractures, and other special situations in the neck and back. He sees patients at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix and Banner Health Clinic in Arcadia, Arizona.

Chief, Orthopaedic Spine Surgery

Interdisciplinary team of musculoskeletal care surgeons to treat complex deformity, scoliosis, tumors, and degenerative spinal conditions

Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery & Neurosurgery

Tertiary referral center for patients with complex conditions and epicenter for advanced surgery in Arizona

Vice Chairman, Business Development

Working to expand musculoskeletal care access and awareness across Phoenix & Scottsdale

Director, Spine Surgery research

Developing novel surgical techniques and leading ongoing clinical trials to improve the efficacy of surgical intervention

When I see patients, I would like them to know that I will treat them the way I would want to be treated, or the way I would seek care for a family member. This translates into a conservative or less aggressive approach to surgery. I tend to operate on a fewer percentage of patients than my colleagues do because this is exactly the way I would want myself or my family member treated."

Shaleen Vira, M.D.

communication is key

Targeting your Unique spinal Condition

We Will work Together to develop a plan that's right for you

get to know each other

Dr. Vira rarely recommends surgery at first consultation. Instead, the goal during your first visit is to understand you as a person. What treatments have you had thus far and how have your symptoms inhibited you from living your life to its fullest?

understanding your Condition

After examining your neck, back, and arm/legs, Dr. Vira aims to correlate your source of pain with any imaging studies you bring to your visit. We don't jump to operate on positive MRI findings...instead we carefully select to operate on those patients whose pain and disability are concordant with imaging findings and have failed nonoperative treatments.

determining your goals

The key to a successful operation is to understand what surgery can and cannot do for you. A thorough review of risks, benefits, and alternative treatments will be discussed. We aim to do the least invasive surgery possible to fix your particular problem.

15 years at the best institutions in America

Clinical Training

Surgical Leadership Program

Harvard Medical School

Driving better patient outcomes requires a multidisciplinary team. Dr. Vira was selected amongst the best surgeons in the country to train in surgical care delivery, quality improvement processes, and operational management at Harvard School of Medicine in conjunction with Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Business School. Dr. Vira has a passion for refining both surgical techniques and the pre and postoperative care pathways that patients experience when undergoing spinal surgery.

Dual Neurosurgical and orthopaedic Training

Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Vira was the only orthopaedic surgeon in the country in his graduating class to be selected for the Combined Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Spine Surgery Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic (US News Ranked #2 Hospital).

This unique fellowship focuses on educating the future leaders in spine surgery and provides extensive training in the diagnosis and management of adult and pediatric spinal disorders.

Dr. Vira was trained on degenerative cervical, thoracic and lumbar disease, spinal deformity, intradural and extradural spinal tumors, spinal trauma, spinal infections, congenital spinal abnormalities, and complex reconstruction/revision cervical and lumbar pathology. Additionally, he gained experience with a multitude of surgical techniques including image guidance, minimally invasive surgery, and microsurgery.

The Foundation of Orthopaedics in America

NYC Hospital for Joint Diseases & Bellevue Hospital

Bellevue Hospital (founded in 1736, the oldest hospital in America) started the profession of orthopaedic surgery. In 1853, Dr. Lewis Sayer became the first professor of orthopaedic surgery and started what is now the oldest and most rigorous training program for orthopaedics in the United States. Today, the New York University Langone Medical Center and Bellevue Hospitals have combined resources to offer the best of elective and traumatic orthopaedic specialty care in NYC through the prestigious Hospital for Joint Diseases residency program.

Dr. Vira was one of two medical students in the nation to be selected into the highly competitive Clinician Scientist Training Program at the Hospital for Joint Diseases (top 5 Orthopaedic Hospital, US News & World Report). He developed skills in a wide range of surgeries on the entire musculoskeletal system including fracture care at Bellevue Hospital. His postdoctoral reserach fellowship year was on adult and pediatric spinal deformity surgery that led to numerous publications. He also acquired numerous innovative techniques to perform minimally invasive and motion preservation surgery from the best surgeons in New York City. For his compassionate care to the diverse NYC population, he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society.

As chief resident, Dr. Vira provided fracture care to the underserved at both Bellevue Hospital and Jamaica Hospital in Queens. There, he developed an interest in spinal traumatology and continues the legacy of Dr. Lewis Sayre in his current activities in providing spinal trauma care at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

Admitted to Medical School at Age 17

New York University Combined BA/MD Program

Dr. Vira grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated valedictorian of Rockville High School. He was admitted to medical school at age 17 and attended the combined BA/MD program at New York University. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in Biology and Economics with Honors and was president of the Economics Honors Society. He received his medical degree from New York University Medical School (ranked #3 by US News & World Report) where he received the orthopaedic surgery award.

Innovating in Care delivery processes

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Vira earned MBA with Honors from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania where he learned from the best minds in healthcare operations, surgical care delivery processes, and finance. Dr. Vira innovates not only in the technical aspects of a surgery but the surrounding care delivery processes that are critical to ensure the best possible outcome for patients that undergo spine surgery at Banner Health.

Improving Policy

United States Congress

As a Congressional Intern for Representative Ed Royce, Dr. Vira served our nation’s legislature. He developed the concept of and wrote a draft of a bill on World bank reform. He also wrote several speeches that were delivered on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and recorded in the US Congressional Record.

Global healthcare access

Harvard Medical School / harvard Business School

Dr. Vira served on the global health delivery project to improve healthcare delivery systems. He developed care delivery value chains and conducted research on applying business methodologies to improve the cycle of health care in developing countries. He was awarded a Catherine Reynolds Scholarship in Social Entrepreneurship for these efforts.

Two Convenient Locations: Request a Consultation Get a Second Opinion Learn about the latest treatments

Banner University Medical Center

Please call to request an appointment and/or additional information about Dr. Vira.

Banner Health Arcadia

Please call to request an appointment and/or additional information about Dr. Vira.